The logo of the Holy See pavilion was presented for the universal exhibition that opens on April 13. Inside you can admire Caravaggio’s “The Deposition”, which the Vatican Museums will take to Japan for the occasion. One of the “ambassadors” of the Vatican’s presence at the Expo will be the manga artist Kan Takahama. The Holy Year will also have a mascot created in that style for the first time.
Vatican City () – An image of the Dome of Saint Peter enveloped by the rising Sun and a black stripe that refers to the Japanese Sumi-e writing technique are the elements of the logo that will accompany the presence of the Holy See in the Expo 2025 taking place from April 13 to October 13 in Osaka, Japan. It was officially presented – during a press conference on some cultural initiatives linked to the Jubilee of 2025, with which it will be related – by the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and head of the Section for Fundamental Issues of Evangelization in the world , Bishop Rino Fisichella. “The image represents a happy union between Christian symbols and Japanese culture,” commented the prelate.
As already announced, the Holy See will not have its own pavilion at Expo 2025, but will be invited with its own, specific and recognizable space within the Italian pavilion. The theme will be “Beauty brings hope”, which deliberately recalls the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” of the Jubilee of 2025. “We have intentionally used the verb ‘bring’ – explained Bishop Fisichella – which in this case has a double meaning: On the one hand, it indicates a dynamic movement that transmits access to hope; on the other, he wants to remember the Holy Door of the Jubilee, the “door” that opens to welcome all those who seek peace and reconciliation.”
The heart of the Holy See pavilion will be the exhibition of Caravaggio’s famous painting, The Deposition, the only work by the great artist preserved in the Vatican Museums. With this painting – explained the vice prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization – “paradoxically we want to transmit a message of hope. In the face of the drama of death, we know that there is faith in the resurrection, the true and real life that is donated to those who believe in Christ.” The exhibition of great works of art will also be part of the cultural initiatives that will be carried out in Rome on the occasion of the Jubilee. At today’s press conference, for example, it was announced that from November 27 to January 27, 2025 it will be possible to admire Marc Chagall’s White Crucifixion, one of his most famous works, for free in the new Museo del Corso. beautiful sacred-themed paintings, provided for the occasion by the Art Institute of Chicago.
As provided in the Expo Statutes, the Holy See has also appointed some Ambassadors who will give luster and prestige to this presence in Osaka2025. They are four artists: Etsuro Sotoo, a sculptor born in Fukuoka who, while working on the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, discovered the figure of Antonio Gaudí and converted to Christianity (he will receive the Ratzinger Prize on November 22); Cecco Bonanotte, Italian sculptor highly appreciated in Japan; conductor Tonomi Nishimoto; and the manga artist Kan Takahama, known internationally especially for the series The Lantern of Nyx.
Another initiative related to the Jubilee also refers to the manga style: for the first time the Holy Year will have its own mascot, which will help communicate its meaning to the younger generations. It’s called Luce and it’s the work of Simone Legno. “It is represented with the typical elements of the pilgrim – explained Mons. Fisichella -: the yellow k way to protect oneself from the elements; boots dirty with dirt from the path traveled; the missionary cross around the neck; the pilgrim’s staff and above all the luminous eyes, symbol of the Hope of the heart”.
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